Summary/Abstract
Methane is responsible for around 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution, and rapid and sustained reductions in methane emissions are key to limiting near-term global warming and improving air quality.
The 2022 update of the IEA Global Methane Tracker provides, for the first time, a complete set of country-level estimates for methane emissions from the energy sector, making the Tracker an indispensable resource in the fight to bring down these emissions and implement the new Global Methane Pledge.
The energy sector – including oil, natural gas, coal and bioenergy – accounts for around 40% methane emissions from human activity. Tackling methane emissions from the energy sector represents one of the best near-term opportunities for limiting global warming because the pathways for reducing them are well known and often cost-effective. The oil and gas sector in particular has the know-how and resources to take quick action. The Global Methane Tracker details the available abatement measures and lays out the state of methane reduction policies and regulations across major emitters.